- Date
- April 21, 2007, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Brighton, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N99811Engineering & Research Ercoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Detroit FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070421017459A
- Case key
- 65667
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to maintain proper glidepath to the runway. Contributing factors to the accident included the passenger vehicle, the rising embankment, and the airport perimeter fence.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane impacted terrain while on final approach to runway 22 (3,120 feet by 24 feet, asphalt). The student pilot stated that the airplane "was caught in a downdraft/wind shear and was not able to clear perimeter fence, even with application of full power." The pilot reported there was a small valley to the northeast of the airport which "probably caused the downdraft." An on-scene investigation revealed that the airplane impacted the radio-antenna of a passenger vehicle operating on the road adjacent to the airport. The airplane then impacted a rising embankment and proceeded through the airport perimeter fence, coming to rest short of the approach threshold. The student pilot was flying with an expired 90 day solo endorsement and did not have a medical certificate. The student pilot was operating the airplane as a light-sport pilot. A local weather reporting station reported the winds were from 260 magnetic degrees at 4 knots at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The airplane impacted terrain while on final approach to runway 22 (3,120 feet by 24 feet, asphalt). The student pilot stated that the airplane "was caught in a downdraft/wind shear and was not able to clear perimeter fence, even with application of full power." The pilot reported there was a small valley to the northeast of the airport which "probably caused the downdraft." An on-scene investigation revealed that the airplane impacted the radio-antenna of a passenger vehicle operating on the road adjacent to the airport. The airplane then impacted a rising embankment and proceeded through the airport perimeter fence, coming to rest short of the approach threshold. The student pilot was flying with an expired 90 day solo endorsement and did not have a medical certificate. The student pilot was operating the airplane as a light-sport pilot. A local weather reporting station reported the winds were from 260 magnetic degrees at 4 knots at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99811
- Reported as
- Engineering & Research Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2434
- Engine
- Continental C85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2006 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- 45G · Brighton, MI
- Destination
- 45G
- Airport
- 45G · Brighton Airport, runway 22, 3,120 × 24 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 103 total · 73 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- OZW, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N99811 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.